Sunday, January 06, 2013

Doi Dharosh -- Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce

Before I wrote this post, I thought twice. Actually several times. Was it okay to start the New Year with something like "Dhyarosh" ? "Dhyarosh", "Bhindi". "Ladies Finger" and now "Okra". After all when a Bengali twists her mouth and utters "Dhyarosh Kothakar", she is not exactly praising the person she is addressing. It is neither a term of endearment nor of highest praise. She is not really saying that the person is green and slender and really tasty when fried. Instead it is rather a term of disapproval, of disdain and contempt, of labeling a person as lazy, clumsy and even a nincompoop. Now you know that why I was in two minds to start the first post of new year with "Dharosh".

But then I stood my ground and decided my love for Dhyarosh has not been visible around this blog much so this year that vegetable will get its place of honor. It will sing the opening song...Do-Re-Mi.... I will write paeans about it, maybe a novel, an epic. I have always loved the Dhyarosh in all its slimy-ness and never once thought that the texture was a deterrent to anything. I have loved eaiting it steamed with drizzle of mustard oil mixed wth rice in a dharosh sheddho. I have loved it fried with a squeeze of lime juice in a kurkure bhindi bhaja. I have loved it in a dharosh posto, in dharosh shorshe, in a bhindi masala in a kadhi.

But inspite of all that love I have not been able to cook dharosh that often. Mostly that has been due to issues dealing with buying okra.Until a few years back we did not get very fresh bhindi here and the ones that were available looked so tired that you wouldn't even call them Dharosh. The other issue was the board put out around the Bhindi corner. Its ays "Do not snap" and there is always at least 3 persons standing around doing exactly the same. It is hard to elbow them out and then grab a few of the remaining good bhindis. So I mostly stayed away.

Since last year however the Indian grocery store I frequent has had reasonably good bhindis, this also meant there wasn't much paparazzi around it. I have been trying to get this veggie home more often. Now the hurdle I face is the kids who do not like its texture and refuse to eat it. I hope that will change some day too and we can be a "Dharosh family" with pride.

Now this Doi Bhindi is something I came upon after discussions with my Mother. There are "Dahi Bhindis" and then there is "Doi Bhindi". The latter has a Bong touch with the spices and sauce base similar to the "Doi Maach". It tasted really good. With white rice it was a winner for our lunch yesterday. Did I say the kids still did not eat it ? Oh well.

Wash and pat dry around 20 okra/bhindi/dharosh. The drying is important

Next chop off the head and tip of tail of each okra.

Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a fry pan . Add the whole okra and saute them with a sprinkle of turmeric powder. When the okra softens and is part cooked take it out and keep aside. Sprinkle some salt on the sauteed okra.

Meanwhile make a smooth paste of the following1 small onion2 hot green chilli3 heaped tbsp yogurt1 tbsp cashew
Note: If you fear that your onion will get bitter on grinding, saute it lightly and then make the paste

When the whole spices sizzle, lower the heat and add the paste you just made. Sprinkle about 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Mirch and at low heat cook the masala for 3-4 minutes

Next add the sauteed okra to the pan and mix with masala. Cook okra with masala for couple more minutes. Add some water(say 1/4 cup), salt to taste, little sugar and let it simmer. Once the okra is done and the gravy is clinging, taste and adjust for seasonings. Serve with roti or rice

45 comments:

I love you even more now! Bhindi is my favorite vegetable. I've never made it like this and so now, I have to! Happy New Year to you and yours, and may it be filled with dharosh because, gosh, it's the best veggie out there! Hugs!

I like okra when it is fried with onions to crisp. The other day a friend ordered okra with shrimp paste at a Malaysian restaurant. It was fantastic actually, I would never have taken the leap and ordered it.

Anyway I have never tasted it with yogurt so I got to give it a chance and I am sure I will like it too.

Once tasted the okra with yogurt liked it. We are lucky to live in CA, we get okra fresh and slender.Here people are breaking the ridge gourd also to taste the bitterness.Happy New Year to you and Your family!

My pet peeve...people breaking off the bhindi heads! I make a similar bhindi often. I also discovered if I add a sprinkle of vinegar to the bhindis while frying prevents them becoming slimy. Always learning ......

Kuntala, skip the onion. Instead make the paste with ginger, garlic, chilli, yogurt and cashew. I am not sure how Hing will go in this dish though. Are you thinking like the Kashmiri rogan josh? Let me know if you use Hing and like it.

Thankyouuu, will do this. Kashmiri rogan josh - na baba, my cooking is really not so advanced :( I usually have added hing tempering to some non-peyaj-roshun niramish dishes (daal, jeera alu etc) so was thinking on those lines. I'm planning this over the weekend, will def. keep you posted if I end up using hing and how that was. Also, I'm a bigger fan of begun so might just make doi begun instead of doi bhindi - let me know pls if that's a big no-no i.e. just plain switching the veggies?

LinkWithin

Share This

Search This Blog

The Book

About Me

Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine